[AT] Glow plugs

[Greg Hass]

I have a 715 IH combine that I used until last year. It had a 706 or 806 
engine with glow plugs. The guy I bought it from said even at 80 degrees 
it would not start without the glow plugs and I found out he was right. 
Even if it had been working hard, after 5 minutes you needed the glow 
plugs. The guy who owns the coffee shop I go to has a IH compact of 
about 35 hp. Last spring, if it was below freezing it would not start 
unless he warmed up the air cleaner with a hair dryer. It is a four 
cylinder engine of some foreign make, but although he has had it for 10 
years, only has 400 hours. Two weeks ago he replaced all the glow plugs 
and brought the old ones to the coffee shop and I tested them; all 4 
were bad. Years ago we had a 930 Case wheatland diesel and it had a big 
glow coil in the intake manifold. It never worked so the few times we 
run in cold weather we towed it or used a little starting fluid. It too 
had the warning label on it saying not to use starting fluid and the 
glow coil together.  A neighbor told us a friend of his had the same 
set-up and the tractor wouldn't start with the glow coil so he heated it 
up and gave it a shot of starting fluid. When it sucked it in it blew 
the manifold right off the tractor. A  cousin of mine (years ago) told 
me his neighbor had a IH 560 and was pulling 2 loads of hay up a hill, 
on the road, and it lugged down. He reached down and pressed the ether 
button and blew a rod out the side of the block. From what I have seen, 
if your engine has glow plugs and the temperature is around freezing, it 
is probable  a good idea to us them for a few seconds at least. If it 
starts without the plugs I don't think it hurts anything, but using them 
when cold gives it a little boost.
      Greg Hass